Diokno: PH’s Nationally Determined Contribution and National Adaptation Plan to resolve info gap with climate finance providers

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES––Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno has spotlighted the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP), which will resolve the information gap between the country and climate finance providers during a high-level dialogue on December 2, 2023.

With the theme, “Turning the Tide: The Philippines’ Journey to Climate Resilience”, the high-level dialogue on the Philippines’ NAP and Implementation Plan (IP) for its NDC highlighted how programs and activities by key partners of the Philippines can be leveraged to support financing, capacity building, and new technologies towards its NAP and NDC IP.

The NAP aims to facilitate effective medium- and long-term adaptation planning, and enable the integration of adaptation into relevant policies and programs across sectors.

Meanwhile, the NDC IP will detail the necessary actions, costs, phasing, and implementation arrangements for the Philippines to deliver its NDC, with constant consideration of its adaptation co-benefits.

The high-level dialogue was co-organized by the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of the United Kingdom.

Secretary Diokno participated in the panel discussion on Partnerships to Support Climate Policy and Investments in the Philippines together with ADB Managing Director General Woochong Um; UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office Head of Adaptation and Resilience Peter Bentley; Division of Country Programming Green Climate Fund Director Carolina Fuentes; and Deputy Director Climate Change Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Atika Ben Maid.

ADB’s Senior Infrastructure Specialist Naeeda Crishna Morgado moderated the session.

During the discussion, Secretary Diokno shared the country’s challenge in accessing climate finance due to the mismatch between the intended support that international partners are willing to provide and the priority initiatives and needs of the country in addressing the impacts of climate change.

“I’m sure that with this very close collaboration with ADB––and we’d like to thank